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The Wedge Preview: 20 Insane Photos from SoCal’s Scariest Mutant Wave

Goodbye El Niño, hello summer south swells!

BY Ben Ginsberg |

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    Bobby Okvist wings over a massive closeout at Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • 2013-06-06_WedgeNB

    Spencer Pirdy freefalls from the lip of a heavy shore breaking wave at Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

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    Bobby Okvist sits in the pocket of a beast at Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

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    Brad Ettinger scores a rare, glassy, perfect stand-up barrel at Wedge, a break more likely to pound you into the sand than offer an easy exit. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • Charlie Wiggs with plenty of room to spare on a frothy near-shore cavern.

    Charlie Wiggs with plenty of room to spare on a frothy near-shore cavern. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • Stephan Figueiredo traveled all the way from Brazil to score this wave; we say well worth the miles.

    Stephan Figueiredo traveled all the way from Brazil to score this wave; we say well worth the miles. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • Local grom Tyler Gunter doesn't shy away from heavy waves, especially not in his own backyard.

    Local grom Tyler Gunter doesn't shy away from heavy waves, especially not in his own backyard. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • By mid-summer the lineups get crowded, and not just with surfers or bodyboarders, but with phtoogs too.

    By mid-summer the lineups get crowded, and not just with surfers or bodyboarders, but with photogs, too. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • From this vantage it seems as though all of Newport Beach is focused on Wedge, and that suits Bobby Okvist just fine as he dropps this massive peak during the Hurricane Marie swell.

    From this vantage it seems as though all of Newport Beach is focused on Wedge, and that suits Bobby Okvist just fine as he dropps this massive peak during the Hurricane Marie swell. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • Tyler Stanaland does it all at Wedge from skimboarding to surfing. It's that familiarity which allows him to pull under the lip with such ease.

    Tyler Stanaland does it all at Wedge from skimboarding to surfing. It's that familiarity which allows him to pull under the lip with such ease. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • On the biggest days of the smmer you'll find Bobby Okvist in the best position to make critical drops like this at Wedge.

    On the biggest days of the summer you'll find Bobby Okvist in the best position to make critical drops like this at Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • Yuri Goncalves drops into a large set wave at The Wedge.

    Yuri Goncalves drops into a large set wave at the Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • Bobby Okvist has a close-encounter with the sand after escaping out a doggy-door exit from a draining shore break barrel at Wedge.

    Bobby Okvist has a close encounter with the sand after escaping out of a doggy-door exit from a draining shore break barrel at Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • A massive, refracted peak towers over the assembled crowd of locals on during this late season dawn session at the Wedge.

    A massive, refracted peak towers over the assembled crowd of locals during this late season dawn session at the Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • Common sights at Wedge these days: crowds, soft tops, and free falls from the lip.

    Common sights at Wedge these days: crowds, soft tops, and free falls from the lip. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • The large, pouding surf at Wedge will undoubtedly make the beach look like this again as sand moves throughout the summer, but for now the El Nino winter has seen a large amount of sand fill back in.

    The large, pouding surf at Wedge will undoubtedly make the beach look like this again as sand moves throughout the summer, but for now the El Nino winter has seen a large amount of sand fill back in. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • It's not easy to surf Wedge. Expect to get thrashed. Local grom and up-and-coming big wave surfer Sage Burke is no stranger to taking a beating and paying his dues at spots like Wedge, Mavericks, and Todos Santos.

    It's not easy to surf Wedge. Expect to get thrashed. Local grom and up-and-coming big-wave surfer Sage Burke is no stranger to taking a beating and paying his dues at spots like Wedge, Mavericks, and Todos Santos. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • If you time it right, oh how pretty a backwash barrel can be. Ryan Hurley in the right spot at the right time.

    If you time it right, oh how pretty a backwash barrel can be. Ryan Hurley in the right spot at the right time. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • As classic as a lineup shot as you'll get at Wedge.

    As classic as a lineup shot as you'll get at Wedge. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

  • At times Wedge might look like a beautiful A-Frame...just be sure you go left; the jetty has taken lives in the past.

    At times Wedge might look like a beautiful A-Frame...just be sure you go left; the jetty has taken lives in the past. Photo: Benjamin Ginsberg / Driftwood Photography Studios

Are we ready to call it? Is winter over? For those who are sad to say their goodbyes to El Niño, don’t worry. The changing of seasons means opportunities at premier spots that have sat dormant for the past few months. Namely, the Wedge. So say your goodbyes and say hello to south swells, because they are fast coming our way.

About a month ago, a furry rodent was manhandled out of the fake tree stump it was previously placed in. We’re told it predicted an early spring. For the most part, it looks to be true. This El Niño winter has been so amazing. In fact, I wish it wouldn’t end. I’m hoping for at least one more northwest winter swell, one more trip up to the Central Coast, or  just one last trip down to Baja. However, with winter over, I don’t expect the waves to stop.

While the pounding winter storms have indeed seen erosion at many lineups, a massive amount of sand has stacked up at places like the Wedge. In fact, in some spots, we have more sand on the beach than we’ve seen in several years.

A few small south swells have already began shifting that sand around, and it should only take a few big swells before it’s shaped just right. All the same, big and gnarly is what we love at the Wedge. And you know it’ll be a show worth seeing even before the sandbar is perfectly groomed into place. Keep an eye on those buoys.

Check out more of Ben’s photography on his website and follow him on Instagram: @driftwoodfoto.